Wolves Take Two Over Opening Weekend

WESSON – The Co-Lin Baseball team played host to Southwest Tennessee for a three-game series to open the 2025 season. The Saluqis beat the Wolves, 6-5, in a single game on Friday, January 31 while the Wolves bounced back and swept a doubleheader, 10-7 and 7-5, on Saturday, February 1.

GAME ONE – Saluqis 6 Wolves 5

In the first game of the series the Wolves got on the board first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning as Trey Davidson (Brandon) hit a two-out single to get the offense started. Dylan Wesson (Brandon) then stepped up and smashed a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence for a two-run home run to give the Wolves a 2-0 lead.

That lead held for the Wolves until the top of the sixth inning when the Saluqis loaded the bases with one out and ultimately scored three runs to take a 3-2 lead. However, the Wolves responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh as Gavin Bledsoe (Brandon) and Evan Holifield (Stringer) drew back-to-back walks while Reise Thomas (Florence) reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt to load the bases with no outs. Later in the inning, Bledsoe scored on a passed ball to tie the game while Holifield and Thomas both scored after Donovan Moore (Bude) reached base after an error on a bunt giving the Wolves a 5-2 lead.

The Saluqis then loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth and scored two runs to cut the lead down to 5-4. After holding the Wolves scoreless in the bottom of the eighth, the Saluqis loaded the bases with two outs and took advantage of an error by the Wolves to plate two runs and take a 6-5 lead. However, the Wolves responded and loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but back-to-back strikeouts saw the comeback effort halted as the Saluqis secured the win.

Caleb Brooks (Brandon), Gavin Bledsoe, Evan Holifield, Trey Davidson, and Dylan Wesson had one hit each for the Wolves while Wesson had two RBIs to lead the team.

Wes White (Flowood) was dominant on the mound for the Wolves in his season debut pitching 4.1 scoreless innings allowing two hits with four strikeouts. Parker Ishee (Ridgeland) pitched one inning of relief allowing three runs, all earned, with three walks and one strikeout while Carter Leggett (Laurel) pitched 2.1 innings of relief allowing one earned run on four hits with three walks and one strikeouts. Judson Griffin (Brookhaven) pitched 0.1 innings of relief allowing one unearned run with one walk and one strikeout while Lucas Harrington (Youngsville, LA) picked up the loss with one inning of relief allowing one unearned run with two walks and three strikeouts.

GAME TWO – Wolves 10 Saluqis 7

The first game of the Saturday doubleheader featured offensive fireworks throughout play after a scoreless first inning. The Wolves got on the board first in the bottom of the second as Evan Holifield hit a leadoff triple and later scored on a sacrifice bunt by Caleb Brooks to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead.

The Wolves increased their lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third as Gavin Bledsoe drew a walk while Trey Davidson followed with a single to put two runners on with one out. After Bledsoe stole third, he later scored on an RBI groundout by Lucas Harrington while Davidson then scored on an RBI single by Dylan Wesson making the lead 3-0.

The Saluqis then tied the game with three runs in the top of the fourth making the score, 3-3 and then took a 4-3 with a solo home run in the top of the fifth. However, the Wolves responded by retaking the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning as Bledsoe and Davidson were hit-by-pitch in back-to-back at-bats to put two runners on with one out. Later in the inning, Bledsoe and Davidson scored on a two-out, two-RBI triple by Wesson giving the Wolves a 5-4 lead.

The Saluqis responded by taking the lead back with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth making the score, 6-5. The Wolves responded with a single run in the bottom of the sixth as Brady White (Ethel) hit a leadoff single, Brooks was hit-by-pitch, and Avery Griffing (Brookhaven) singled to load the bases. White then scored on a double play to tie the game at 6-6.

The Saluqis then took advantage of two one-out walks and scored a run in the top of the seventh to take a 7-6 lead. Once again, the Wolves found a response and matched with a single run of their own in the bottom of the seventh as Davidson hit a leadoff single and then scored on a second-straight single by Lucas Harrington to tie the game at 7-7.

The Wolves then scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth as Brooks and Griffin hit back-to-back singles to start the inning, After both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Reise Thomas, Bledsoe was intentionally walked to load the bases. Davidson then delivered a two-RBI single scoring Brooks and Griffin while the Wolves pulled off a double steal as Davidson stole second and Bledsoe swiped home to make the score, 10-7.

The Saluqis then got a one-out single in the top of the ninth, but Nash Sturdivant (Brandon) slammed the door on the comeback effort with back-to-back strikeouts to secure the win for the Wolves.

The Wolves totaled 12 hits as a team with Trey Davidson leading the way going 3-for-3 while Lucas Harrington, Dylan Wesson, and Avery Griffin had two hits each with Evan Holifield, Caleb Brooks, and Brady White collecting one hit apiece. Wesson led the Wolves in RBIs with three while Davidson and Harrington had two RBIs each and Brooks had one RBI.

Cohen Weinhofer (Ocean Springs) got the start and earned a no-decision while pitching 3.2 innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Tanner Blackwell (Flora) pitched 1.2 innings allowing two earned runs on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Jacob Buffalo (Foxworth) pitched one inning of relief allowing two earned runs on three hits with two walks while Nash Sturdivant picked up his first win of the season with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief allowing three hits and five strikeouts.

GAME THREE – Wolves 7 Saluqis 5

The second game of the doubleheader was scoreless through the first two and a half innings of play until the Wolves plated two runs in the bottom of the third as Caleb Brooks hit a leadoff double to start the inning. Brooks then scored on an RBI single by Avery Griffin who then advanced to second on a second-straight single by Reise Thomas. Later in the inning, Griffin scored on a sacrifice fly by Trey Davidson giving the Wolves a 2-0 lead.

The Wolves then increased their lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth as Evan Holifield got the offense going with a one-out single. Later in the inning, Brooks and Griffin hit back-to-back singles to load the bases with two outs while Thomas was hit-by-pitch scoring Holifield. Gavin Bledsoe then delivered a two-out, two-RBI single scoring Griffin and Thomas to increase the Wolves lead to 5-0.

The Saluqis then took advantage of a leadoff walk and RBI triple in the top of the fifth to cut the lead down to 5-1. The Wolves responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth as Brooks drew a leadoff walk to start the offense but was forced out as Griffin reached on a fielder's choice. Thomas drew a walk with one out while later in the inning, Davidson drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Lucas Harrington then delivered a two-out, two-RBI single scoring Griffin and Thomas to increase the lead to 7-1.

The Saluqis then mounted a comeback effort and scored four runs in the top of the seventh with the tying run coming to the plate with two outs, but Caleb Flynn slammed the door with a game-ending and sweep-sealing strikeout to give the Wolves a 7-5 victory.

The Wolves totaled nine hits as Caleb Brooks and Avery Griffin led the way with two hits each while Gavin Bledsoe, Lucas Harrington, Dylan Wesson, Evan Holifield, and Reise Thomas had one hit each. Bledsoe and Harrington led the team with two RBIs each while Griffin, Thomas, and Trey Davidson had one RBI each.

Jennings Kimbrell (Flowood) got the start and picked up in his first collegiate win in his debut with five innings pitched and allowing one earned run on four hits with three strikeouts and four walks. Brayden Cooley (Gluckstadt) pitched one inning of relief allowing two unearned runs on one hit with one strikeout. Darrin Robbins (Sumrall) pitched 0.2 innings of relief allowing two earned runs on two hits with two strikeouts while Caleb Flynn picked up his first save with 0.1 innings of relief with one walk and one strikeout.

Co-Lin is 2-1 overall and returns to action on the road against Delgado on Wednesday, February 5. First pitch between the Wolves and Dolphins is set for 3 p.m., at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium in New Orleans.